Jayayeff

6 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

Hi Anne,

I can't find the exact info online yet.

 

Would you happen to know whether Oceania cruise lines would use Port Rashid or Dubai Harbour ?

Thanks.

 
In November when the Nautica was here the ship was docked in Port Rashid.  I had friends on that sailing and met up with, and dropped them off later in the day at the cruise terminal there…

Anne 

11 hours ago, goldengatecruisers said:

 We may even see various promotions in 2023/2024 to entice bookings on certain itineraries.  

We can but hope however, I very much doubt they would be applicable for single occupancy fares!!!  There are so few entry level Oceanview staterooms left now that any promotion at that level is unlikely.  I suspect my days of Crystal cruising are now behind me!!!   😢

Anne...

39 minutes ago, Old Sea Dog said:

Hello Anne

We are booked for this in October. If they will still allow guests do you want to come aboard?

Roy & Sue

If, being the operative word!!!  Yes, I’d love to see you both again - it must be nearly another anniversary time by now!!!!  You have my email, stay in touch and hopefully we’ll catch up again in October…

Anne..

33 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

Could you please tell us how many days to see the per diem per person? That makes easier to compare with similar offers from other cruise lines. 
Ivi

 

it’s a 17 night itinerary… although as a solo traveller it’s the total cost that matters to me….those fares are all for one person…

Anne…

6 hours ago, crickette said:

This could turn into a -very- interesting thread.

We were booked Symphony Athens to Abu Dhabi in Oct/Nov 2019 in a Seabreeze penthouse (not SB suite).  Our booking confirmation shows $9349pp plus $944 port fees.  That price reflected a $2700 Book Now promotion, so starting price of $12049.  (Starting price was $3999, OV).

 

 

 

 

I'm pleased you picked that one as a comparison because I looked at the 2023 Athens to Dubai itinerary and was shocked when I saw the fare as I have done that trip previously (albeit in reverse)

Designated Solo Occupancy Cabin             $9,100

Deck 7 Lowest Fare Double + 50%SS)     $12,150

My Previous trip (Dubai to Athens)               $6,250 (including port fees & taxes)

I think my days of enjoying Crystal Cruises is now past!!!  A 50% increase for one of those dreadful location forward cabins, or at least 80% increase if I select the same cabin I occupied on the same itinerary previously!!!... Not to mention that my previous fare also came with a $500 As You Wish Credit which almost paid for my overnight excursion to Luxor!!!!  

Anne...

2 hours ago, lincslady said:

I hardly dare come on this thread for fear of being told off, but just to say that (a) I am sure  from what you all say that Crystal's staff with whom you interact are personable and friendly; so, notably,  are those on Seabourn, but I agree about the staff on Regent.  And (b) I  too was amused about the 'nearly one to one' thing - how long is a piece of string.  It is a bit like 'up to' which could mean anything from 1% upwards.  Although, in fairness, I suppose they don't know the ratio until they have appointed everyone.

You’re not the only one, and sadly this isn’t the only thread to which that applies!!!   

On 1/24/2023 at 3:59 PM, HARRIS40 said:

Do you know if the cruise company provide the visas for Dubai for uk citizens as we are onboard overnight in March as a world cruise segment, many thanks.

British citizens do not need pre-arranged visas they are part of the visa waiver scheme which grants tourist visa on arrival to nationals of a whole list of countries, the UK being one of them…

Anne..

On 1/29/2023 at 8:34 AM, 40yearcruiser said:

If anyone has been to Dubai cruise port recently please post any information and experiences you have had about the port and how to access various sites around the city without taking a ship excursion. Also, which terminal does MSC use when docked overnight?

If it is the MSC World Europa then it will be Port Rashid as it’s too big for the new Dubai Harbour terminal.. I was over that side of the city on Saturday and it was docked at the Port Rashid Cruise Terminal…

Anne

2 hours ago, RD64 said:

Faithful solo cruisers did not necessarily pay the bills.

 You are assuming all those solo faithful cruisers paid only the entry level cruise fare, and whilst I can’t speak for them all I for sure spent a lot more on add-ons than many of the couples I met during my travels, and know others who paid not insignificant SS% for higher category staterooms than the entry level ones!!!   
 

Anne…

On 2/4/2023 at 12:35 AM, VisionaryJax said:

Ooooh! Have fun! And thanks for the hotel information. Queen Mary sounds great! Also a place near the Burj Kalifa sounds great. If you think of it, please drop back in here and post how was the hotel and the hop-on/hop-off. I saw that as an option and wondered if it would a good plan -- we're older and don't hop on or off anything much, I would be curious how it is.

Just a quick comment if you were interested, the floating hotel moored beside the cruise terminal in Port Rashid is actually the QE2 not the Queen Mary (I believe that is in a port in California).  Also when checking for pre or post cruise hotel accommodation in Dubai it's good to know which terminal your cruise ship will dock at as there are now two here and there is quite a distance between them.  The original Cruise Terminal in Port Rashid which is in the old part of Dubai and the new one which is called Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal which is right beside the Palm Jumeirah and close to Dubai Marina.   I've met up with friends arriving here on cruise ships twice recently and one arrived in Port Rashid (with Oceania) and the other at Dubai Harbour (with Cunard on the QM2).   As others have rightly noted traffic is dreadful here for the most part so finding somewhere that has easy access to the Metro would be a good idea... It's easy to use, very clean and for the most part above ground so you can sightsee as you go!!

Anne...

6 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

 

For us it was extraordinary.

 

So glad we got to see some of these places with our own eyes as opposed through the lens of someone else.

 

Keith

Of course it was  - you got to meet me in person for the first time!!!!  I remember having dinner with Anne Marie and yourself in Silk Road during your port call in Dubai on that voyage....😀😀😀

Anne..

On 2/8/2023 at 3:22 AM, BWIVince said:

 

I'm with you on that...  The designated single cabins really don't interest me at this time.  

 

I don't think that says anything about the future though...  Old Crystal's single supplement policy was an iterative creation based on historic sales data -- something new Crystal has none of yet, from all these new variables.  I'm sure their approach to singles will change significantly over the next couple of years, and possibly a bit even before they start sailing), so I don't blame anyone that waits to see before entertaining Crystal as an option.  (And for other factors too.)

 

Vince

One can only hope as the present approach is little short of insulting, especially, if like me, the Symphony itineraries are the ones that usually attract your attention... There's not a chance I will be handing over the amount of money they are asking for those Deck7 Single Occupancy Cabins on the Symphony.  I don't sleep well at the best of times, but that far forward and right above the Galaxy Lounge doesn't bear thinking about!!!   I guess that, and/or the imposition of a 50% SS if you want to move a little further back to the staterooms we previously occupied, was one way to discourage the return of the faithful solo cruisers who were so loyal to Crystal in the past....Mission Accomplished...

Anne...

3 hours ago, Cruise-y said:

I'm not really concerned if the new Japanese restaurant is a Nobu brand or not. He has a restaurant in my home city and I've never even been. There are too many other great and innovative sushi restaurants where I live. And, like others, I loved Umi Uma when I was on Crystal. 

 

 

 

He has one in mine too - in fact it just relocated to a larger more prestigious location within the Atlantis Hotel but it's as much a celebrity 'must be seen in and post on Instagram hotspot' as a 'local' eatery as the majority of us can barely afford to walk through the door!!!!   Much as I loved dining in them when onboard the Symphony & Serenity, I think two small restaurants on two ageing cruise ships would be of little significance to Nobu these days as he seems to be going much bigger than that.   In addition to the newer and bigger Nobu restaurant in the original Atlantis Hotel here in Dubai, there is now a Nobu Beach Club within the newly opened Atlantis The Royal Hotel complex, a Nobu Abu Dhabi Resort (Restaurant, Hotel and Residences) under construction in Abu Dhabi and another Nobu Marjan Island Resort on the drawing board as part of a new development in the northern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah....Nobu seems to have branched out a bit these days!!!!

Anne...

12 hours ago, Cruise-y said:

I spent 10 days in Saudi five years ago. I had to wear an abaya but I walked around , visited tourist sites, went to the grocery store, restaurants, tourist locales, salons, etc. It was quite an educational experience. 

The world moves on and it is even less restrictive now - you can get a 1 year multi-entry tourist visa issued online in minutes, no longer is there the need for abayas or hijabs, unless visiting religious sites, just a dress modestly code as is the case in most other Islamic countries.   Other than visiting historical sites, Saudi Arabia now plays host to countless international sports events during the course of each year, both men's and women's.   I'm not lifting the 'political' box lid but for tourists, other than still not being able to get a cocktail, a beer or a glass of wine publicly, it's pretty much like visiting any other Arabian Peninsula country in 2023 - some have more to offer than others!!!

Anne..

3 hours ago, claudiaYVR said:

Only four hours away from this board and the thread got almost completely hijacked. Thanks everyone 🙂

 

Back to the purpose of the thread:

 

Bad - that they didn't have certain core policies in place before booking started. What is included in the all-inclusive? what discount if any will Crystal Society members get?

They did not have to have everything sorted out but these two seem kind of biggie, easy to decide at the top executive level and pretty important to passengers when making booking decisions as the pricing seems to be higher than the competitors'.

 

Good - it appears our beautiful promenade decks will be left intact!

 

As is often the case on this board when certain members get the bit between their teeth!!!!.   A shame as it was a great idea, and it was going along so well until, as you say, it got hijacked and is now dominated by a back and forth about other cruise lines food!!!!      As the OP you could try reporting ‘the diversion’ and request the irrelevant posts be trimmed out as your original intent is way more interesting that the route it’s now gone down..
 

Anne..

7 hours ago, claudiaYVR said:

There are so many recent threads with a lot of miscellaneous info and chatter that I'm having a hard time keeping up. I thought I'd start a new clean thread focused on what we learn from Crystal and our TAs as details are nailed down and communicated. I would propose that we list things we know with a reasonable degree of certainty and how we feel about them. For example, I wouldn't discuss shore excursions as at this time we have no information on this topic at all. Comparisons to other lux lines are fair as it serves to inform everyone about what we're getting for our money. 

 

My first ones:

Tastes - Good. Always loved it on Serenity and happy it will now be on both ships

Bathtubs - Bad. Only available on Jr. CP and above. Both Seabourn and Silversea have nice bathtubs on all categories

Good for me is that the Crystal Symphony is still 'alive and well' - I first sailed on her back in 2006 and have always preferred her over the Serenity, but as my cruises are usually itinerary driven it depends which ship is going where and whether it fits my budget!!    Secondly, the demise of that silly little bathtub in the standard staterooms and the arrival of a spacious walk-in shower - what a long overdue and welcome sight that is!!!

Bad for me are the Single Occupancy Staterooms.  Strange you may think for someone who travels solo, but if you are going to introduce something then at least do it properly.  Considering the number of regular solo passengers who have historically cruised with Crystal, across all categories of staterooms or suites, why on earth would you simply just rename a block of double occupancy staterooms located in the least favourable location on the ship for them!!!  Even paying the lowest fare on a guarantee basis in the past I've never been assigned a stateroom that far forward on Deck 7 of the Symphony.  In fact the only time I was even close my neighbours were either guest entertainers, dance hosts, dance instructors or enrichment lecturers.   Single Occupancy Cabins should have been designed for solo use not just be regular double staterooms with a change of label on the deck plan key, and be scattered around the ship not just lumped into one small area of a single deck - what were we, an afterthought!!!  What a wasted opportunity for the new Crystal to benefit from the number of solo travelers - past, present and future in the market for solo travel opportunities these days... 

Indifferent:   The itineraries released so far are a bit ho hum, same old same old, but they may have been limited in options for these early voyages.    I'm not overly concerned about the other internal changes - restaurants, bars, gym, spa, casino or no casino etc.   Although I think the phasing out of the Computer University at Sea and the introduction of something like an Arts Studio or a Cookery Skills Academy would be far more relevant to todays world....However, the ship is not the destination for me, but the means of getting to those places on my chosen itinerary so it will be interesting to see what shore excursion choices/prices are like when they are released..

I won't be rushing to have my travel agent make a booking for me, I'm happy to sit back and wait for the full story to be published for now!!!... Once bitten, twice shy....😀

Anne..

oops...posted in error

On 12/30/2021 at 10:17 PM, Keata said:

Looking to do a Holylands tour in late 2022.  How large does the scarf have to be?  Must all hair (including bangs) be covered?  I want to ensure I am respectful of the people in the Mosques.

Thanks in advance!

I can't answer your question specifically as I'm not sure what 'bangs' are, I'm English and not familiar with the term.  However, you do not need to wear a tight fitting head covering with all your hair tucked in - a loose large size scarf over your head and around you neck would be fine.  You should also wear clothing with long sleeves and either trousers or a long skirt or dress when visiting Mosques...

Anne...

On 9/10/2021 at 10:45 AM, Savblanc1 said:

Hi

 

We are cruising out of Dubai in January and are looking to book a pre cruise hotel for one night near the port.  Any recommendations. So many to choose from.  Thanks

 

You can stay within Port Rashid if you like as the QE2 is now moored there and open as a hotel (Queen Elizabeth 2 Hotel).  Alternatively there are several hotels quite close to the port.  You can check out The Canvas Dubai (A Mgallery Collection hotel) or the Hyatt Place Dubai, Jumeirah.   If you are looking for budget hotels then try either the Mercure Gold or the Holiday Inn Express, Jumeirah...

If you need any further suggestions, let me know...

Anne..

19 hours ago, mef_57 said:

Hello Anne and may I first say, it is good to know you are safe and well.

To be honest, I am not sure I will be able to make this cruise with the slower opening of international cruisers to ships, and the potential for bubble port visits only (so not my style) but I will wait until full payment date to decide.

I expect to be disembarking in Abu Dhabi and taking the bus to Dubai, so think I will stay closer to the areas you mention and take the metro to places. I thought an aparthotel would be a good compromise.

At this point, I won't be doing much planning before final payment early July. Then I expect more will be clear about travel and expectations.

Regardless, I expect there will be more questions from travelers as cruising opens up. It will be nice to get back to reading about people's plans and expectations. Regards, Maria

Hi Maria,

Sorry to hear your plans are still uncertain, I'll keep an eye on this thread now so if you do need anything else, you won't have to wait two months for me to reply!!!!

Anne...

On 2/26/2021 at 6:32 PM, mef_57 said:

Hello Anne. I hope you have weathered this pandemic well.

Last April I had to cancel my Dubai to Venice cruise, but considering rebooking a Venice to Abu Dhabi cruise late October/November.  I would hop a bus and visit Dubai then fly home from there.  Expo should be happening and I will have more time for Dubai as I will be retired by then, so looking for a new city location to consider for accommodation.  I had been looking closer to the port or by the Burj before, but I could look closer to Expo and the Gardens, or beach now.  I would still want to visit Old Dubai, Glow Garden and areas near the Creek, but if it was near the Metro, are there other areas I should consider to look?  I was thinking apart-hotels with a lower budget ($100 -$170 US).  I would also consider a more traditional guest house, but they don't seem as convenient to public transit (Metro).

Would you recommend areas of town to consider?  Thank you for suggestions.

Hi,

Sorry it's taken so long to get back to you but with cruising paused for over a year I haven't even looked at CC during that time!!!    As you already know the Expo site is well out of the city however, if you are comfortable using public transport and self-catering then you could look at either aparthotels or Airbnb's in either JLT (Jumeirah Lake Towers) or Dubai Marina as they both give easy access to the Metro (and the tram within Dubai Marina) which by October will run right to the Expo site.  You can also go in the opposite direction and take the Metro into the city when you want to visit 'old' Dubai as both locations (directly across the highway from each other) are roughly midway between the two ...  If you prefer regular hotels then again the are many within Dubai Marina, some with beachfront access, some not and in both JLT and Dubai Marina there are lots of dining options - especially within the Marina as the whole Marina Walk is a pedestrian zone...

Anything else, please post and I'll check in more frequently from now onwards!!

Anne..

13 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

For those who have enjoyed Jon Courtenay onboard Crystal, here is his new performance on Britain's Got Talent in the semi-finals.

 

 

 

 

and the Sunday Mail’s report/review of last night’s show.....

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-8776447/Britains-Got-Talent-Comedy-singer-Jon-Courtenay-act-make-final.html

Anne...

7 hours ago, drsel said:

I got my cancellation emails and decided to book a repositioning Cruise from Abu Dhabi to Europe in 2022, along with some friends, who need a visa for UAE.       

 

 

The Cruise departs from Abu Dhabi straight to Doha, then Muscat, Salalah, Suez canal, Haifa, Athens, etc.

After departure from Abu Dhabi, it does not return to any port in UAE.

 

so will a single entry UAE visa suffice for my friends?

For round trip Dubai or Abu Dhabi Cruises, they need a multiple entry Cruise ship visa (MSV) for UAE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, if they are flying in then boarding the ship and not returning to the UAE a single entry visa would be sufficient...

Anne...

On 9/12/2020 at 6:02 PM, drsel said:

Thanks Anne for all your help and advice.

today Costa has removed all the 2020 Dubai and Abu Dhabi sailings from their websites

I saw this online today - Dubai port will reopen to cruise ships from the end of October but not seen anything yet on any other UAE ports...

https://gulfnews.com/business/tourism/after-covid-19-global-cruise-lines-will-once-again-arrive-at-dubai-port-by-late-october-1.1600314367697?fbclid=IwAR0BS069usPy9C7bbag0jrw3WaUt-DL0hkOYl_RG1IHeetCpBxOw5jyukgM

Anne..

4 hours ago, ighten said:

are the ports open to cruise ships though in UAE - or is the suspension still in place

The suspension is still in place.... There have been reports of them reopening for the ‘season’ but as of now no start dates have been announced...

Anne...